The Road Ahead: Games of 2018

2018 is looking to be one of the heaviest hitting years for video games in recent memory. There are an array of titles players are nearly foaming at the mouth to get their grubby hands on. That is no different for those of us at Gamer Assault Weekly, I personally am looking forward to quite a few games that are slated for this year. More than I have been for quite a while actually. So I decided to ask my fellow team members, “What releases are you looking forward to in the new year?”

For the first time in a few years, I am looking forward to a number of major releases. In fact, I am so anxious to get some of them that when I think about them I start bouncing my leg endlessly. This year is shaping up to be stellar for horror games. Right now I am looking forward to Days Gone and The Last of Us Part II. I have been aching to get my zombie fix the past few months and these games look downright terrifying. The sheer number of infected on screen in Days Gone is awe-inspiring, not to mention the freaking zombie bear! I am also interested in smaller games like GTFO and the World War Z game. Co-op is always a blast and when you can get the right mix of horror added in it hits that sweet spot that honestly makes me a little tingly… like heart tingles not the other kind. Anyway, there are a ton of other games I don’t want to take up the whole article about: Red Dead 2, Metro Exodus, State of Decay 2 and Code Vien are also near the top of my list.

Red Dead Redemption 2 easily tops my list of most anticipated 2018 releases (my feelings on it being called Red Dead Redemption 2, despite that fact that it is the third entry in the Red Dead series aside.) While Red Dead Revolver was decent in its own right, the first Red Dead Redemption was truly special. In fact, it’s arguably the smartest, most well-rounded, and overall best game Rockstar has ever put out, even surpassing L.A. Noire and the Grand Theft Auto series in certain respects. It was exciting, deep, and tear-jerking, not to mention the Undead Nightmare expansion, which is one of the best zombie games in recent memory (in an era where zombies are a bit played out, no less.) So, another entry to the series that has the potential to be even bigger and better is definitely something to get excited about. And judging by the promotional material that has already been released, the game’s visuals look absolutely gorgeous as well. But seriously, Rockstar. Would it really be that hard to give the game a snappy, original title with another word that begins with the letter ‘R’?

My first runner-up for most anticipated 2018 game would have to be (a full version of) We Happy Few, as I’m definitely a sucker for stylized games with creepy imagery, as well as tales set in dystopian settings. Hence, why I’m such a big fan of games like Dishonored and films like V for Vendetta.

Christopher TaylorReviews & Editorials Writer / Coil Over Connoisseur

Being underwhelmed by game releases in 2017, I am extremely excited by 4 games in particular that are set to release this year. Fourth on my list is Far Cry 5, with its setting in the rural USA, I am having a difficult time keeping my excitement contained for this game. Third on my list would be the new David Cages digital story of Detroit: Become Human. I am a big fan of Quantic Dreams games, having played from their original Omikron: The Nomad Soul to one of the greatest games ever made Heavy Rain, I look forward to seeing how David Cage and Quantic Dream deliver their latest interactive narrative.

My top 2 anticipated games of the year move to the indie scene, starting with number 2 on my list; Vampyr. In Vampyr you are given a choice whether to indulge in your undead needs and feed on the innocent or try to play the game as a blood-starved vampyr. The concept, if implemented correctly, will provide what I feel to be one of the coolest concepts of this decade. As a fan of the Castlevania series of games, specifically Symphony of the Night which I still whip out the vita to play occasionally, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is my most anticipated game set for release in 2018. Hopefully, Koji Igarashi can capture the fun gameplay of Symphony of the Night with modern graphical fidelity.

John DonadioChief Operating Officer/Streamer/Winner of Most Bob’s Burgers Episodes Watched in 2017

First of all, let me just say that in just a few weeks Dragonball FighterZ comes out and 2018 is over for me. It is the fighter game that I have been waiting most of my early teen and adult life for. While this is the only game I am truly excited for I have some more that will add to the list.

After that, however, there are a few games that I’ve been waiting for that have just been delayed so much that last years games have become this year’s games. Far Cry 5, God of War IV, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night (which I was able to play at NYCC and I freaking loved it), and Red Dead Redemption 2 are all games that I have been waiting very patiently for.

As far as new games go, however, I’m looking forward to Metro Exodus, I played the crap out of the first two games and loved them so I am extremely excited for this long-awaited sequel. Speaking of sequels, Darksiders III is another one that looks great, continuing the story of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. I guess for a new IP, Anthem looks interesting, while there isn’t too much out about it, I always love exploration/shooter type games. OH! While we don’t have a release date, 2018 is looking to be the year that Cyberpunk 2077 finally makes its debut, so absolutely that!

2018’s line-up of games looks rock solid. January’s titles alone are good enough to tide me over for the year: Dragon Ball FighterZ and Monster Hunter World. Then, if that wasn’t already overkilling it, Red Dead Redemption 2 is finally coming after all this time.

However, Fire Emblem 2018 is the 2018 game I’m dying to hear about the most. All we’ve heard about it is that there’s a Fire Emblem game coming to the Switch this year, and that’s about it. But, see- for me, that’s enough reason to get hyped. Fire Emblem hasn’t been back on home consoles for a decade. So, it’s about time we had a Fire Emblem title that pushed Nintendo hardware a little bit further: both visually and mechanically. The difference might not be like jumping from GBA to Gamecube in 2003, but I expect big shifts for the strategy-RPG series.

I’m also dying to play Hokuto no Gotoku, the Fist of the North Star game designed by the Yakuza team. It was one of the biggest presences at this year’s Tokyo Game Show, and I loved every second of gameplay footage I could eat up. It’s loud, hysterical, and ultra manly. Who knew that partying and brawling Yakuza-style would be so fun in the muscle-bound post-apocalyptic world of Fist of the North Star? The Yakuza-esque mini-games make it even better: who knew that the ultra-serious main character of the series could be such a suave bartender?

Adam SiddiquiSenior Staff Writer/Works on Weekends When Everyone is Sleeping

2017 is over and with it the end of another year of gaming. Now 2018 has started and while nothing huge has released yet developers and publishers have a laundry list of titles in development for gamers to purchase. Games like Dragon Ball FighterZ and Dissidia Final Fantasy NT are set to release this year but there are so many other games coming later on. I can’t pick one so I’m going to do opposite and pick 5.

Death Stranding, Kingdom Hearts 3, The Last of Us Part 2, Final Fantasy 7: Remake, and Spider-Man PS4. Each one of these games has had me craving any snippet of information regarding the game’s development. One of these has been in development so long that it missed an entire console generation. It’s unlikely that we’ll see Kingdom Hearts 3 or Final Fantasy 7: Remake’s first episode this year but considering that The Last Guardian and Final Fantasy XV, which were in development for more than 10 years, released in the same year I’m hoping for another miracle.

Death Stranding and Spider-Man PS4’sdevelopment has made the transition to internal testing and it’s likely we’ll hear more about The Last of Us Part 2 at this year’s E3. I already spent a lot of 2017 in front of a screen and there’s a good chance I’ll do it this year as well.

That will just about do it here for us at Gamer Assault Weekly. Want to add to the list?? What are you looking forward to this year? Tell us in the comments below!

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